Porter, Texas – Premium synthetic lubricant manufacturer, Royal Purple Synthetic Oil, Royal Purple®, awarded one driver in each of the three Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires Series with the Royal Purple “Slickest Pass” Award which included a $5,000 check to aid each driver in reaching their goal of racing in the Verizon IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. Royal Purple presented the awards to Patricio O’Ward, Sting Ray Robb and Calvin Ming at the September 3 Mazda Road to Indy awards banquet.

Following a cocktail reception on a glorious summer’s evening overlooking the Columbia River and with Mt. Hood looming in the distance, over $2.6M was distributed in the Mount St. Helens Ballroom at the Red Lion On The River, Jantzen Beach, just a mile or so away from Portland International Raceway which this past weekend hosted a hugely successful return of major-league open-wheel auto racing to the Pacific Northwest after an absence of 11 years.

After yesterday clinching the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship – and a scholarship valued at $1M to step up to the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2019 – Patricio O’Ward said this morning he was planning to have some fun in today’s Cooper Tires Indy Lights Grand Prix of Portland Powered by Mazda. Indeed he did.